Magpul Not Moving Fast Enough To Satisfy Netizens

Magpul is coming under fire from The Internet for not moving their manufacturing facilities out of Colorado fast enough. Same writes at The Examiner …

Magpul Industries is now beginning to take heat from consumers over their lack of motivation to move out of Colorado. People continue today to post messages about their displeasure with the company. The messages and subsequent articles began coming to light the past Friday.

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Many customers are now vowing to stop buying Magpul products, Cory McNeal saying “When you move out of Colorado, I will purchase your products.” To which Magpul replied “Deal.

It unfeasible and logically impossible to move a manufacturing business to another state overnight. As they say “Hater’s gonna hate”.

Founder and Dictator-In-Chief of TFB. A passionate gun owner, a shooting enthusiast and totally tacti-uncool. Favorite first date location: any gun range. Steve can be contacted here.

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big daddy

I like Magpul and will continue to buy their products. They do not have gimmicks, just quality affordable and ergonomically excellent items. They are in a huge transition and people have to understand that. I think the frustration by people is understandable, although the response is kind of childish. Magpul is doing what they said, it takes time to make a huge move and do so without completely stopping their production. Slowly new items are coming out and at a great price. What’s the problem?

Suburban

The company that I work for bought several molding machines, and it took the technicians about a month to get them set-up to the point that they produce parts.. If Magpul is running a central drying system, I would expect that alone to take several weeks, at least, to run hoses for, and get all set up.

I actually hadn’t noticed too much of a shortage of Magpul product, except maybe for .308 magazines, which I thought was just a matter of low demand/low production.

Mike

Magpul proveis with their words and their actions that they are a class act. They also have a business to run, they can’t just stop production completely to make an interstate move of a factory go a little quicker.

Julio

“Deal” seems a perfect response. No excuses, just a simple promise while they get on with the job. I don’t condemn posters for seeking reassurance of Magpul’s commitment to leave Colorado, though. Businesses know that, while some of their customers have long memories, most of them don’t, and so will sometimes be tempted to give undertakings that are little more than a sop to buy time until the heat has gone out of an issue. In such cases, those with longer memories do a service by keeping the embers alive. If Magpul were not sincere, I’m sure they would have tried to waffle their way out of their previous statements, but they haven’t, and that one word “deal” speaks volumes about their values.

Nishi Drew

Just wondering how many of those “customers” posting hate messages ever bought any magpul products

Fyrewerx

Meanwhile, the citizens of Colorado are “moving out” Democrat politicians.

Martin M

Magpul may eventually not even have to move. If the trend continues, and Colorado accelerates it’s de-Californification, all the stupidity may be overturned.

308T

Dream on.

Martin M

I’m entitled to my wishful thinking.

Colorado Bob

Hey, we are working on it.

Zeus

I will continue to support Magpul as I believe the creator is a Marine (if I’m not mistaken) and they make great, affordable stuff. I don’t care CO or elsewhere, it’s there call. Semper FI!

SSlug

I thought this way too growing up, but ever since I met a dbag of an ex-Marine and ex-Army guy (lied about SF experience for monetary gain), I no longer blind pedestal every serviceman/women I meet. I believe the good outnumber the bad as I can count more decent ones I’ve known, just no more free-pass-via-uniforms from me.

Ash

Knowing that moving a major manufacturing operation is a major endeavor, why not include that in the initial announcement? I think that things would be different if they displayed the same level of urgency and vehemence to the ACTUAL MOVE as they did in ANNOUNCING the move… People may be getting uptight because it all seemed so important to DO SOMETHING NOW back when they announced the move.

But hey, that’s human nature, right? We tend to freak out over the short term then slowwwwwlllyyyy acclimatize to the new norm.

Steve (TFB Editor)

Managing expectations is indeed important.

ArcRoyale

If they move, fine. If they don’t move, fine. Either way, they make good products which i would buy if i needed them.

bloodyspartan

You sound like one of the boys in Blue, See you cannot have that stuff but I can.
You know like us here in NY,.

NO ONE NEEDS 30 BULLETS TO SHOOT A DEER.
ONLY TRAITORS1

ArcRoyale

If you need 30 bullets to shoot a deer, then I’m pretty sure you’re doing it wrong. That said, magpul moving its shop or not moving its shop will probably not make any difference in colorado law.

disqus_4t2AsymgGb

Second amendment is not about hunting. 30+ rounds are needed to fight tyranny. Read the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist papers, etc.

Tim Pearce

Not to mention it’s pretty likely the 15-round capacity limit law will be ruled unable to be enforced, due to overly vague wording, and thus be repealed.

Might seem a bit of a jerk move to move the whole company to Texas, shafting all their Colorado workers, and then the law gets repealed.

Brandon

Sucks all those people on Colorado have to lose their jobs.

Anon

People throughout history have lost a hell of a lot more than just their jobs defending their rights.

Fonozzle

In principle they need to get going. They sold a lot of product for their talk against bad laws. They need to follow up by action. It IS a matter of principle.

jpcmt

The obvious issue is not if they move or not, or if they’re trying to or not. The issue is that they got verbally patriotic and played the tune of “If they pass this law, we’re outta here.” They even made a public statement about it and rallied their customer base to the 2A cause they were talking about. With them not making the move (9 months now?) or not resembling a company finding a new location or whatever steps necessary to start making the move, they now look like a backwards Cheaper Than Dirt..moving from favor with their customer base on to losing favor. I think it’s warranted if they are truly not going through with what they say.

bloodyspartan

That is why their answer is perfect, No Animosity.
We know you are right and when we get out of here we expect your business again.

Sounds fair on both sides..

Two sets of words and Honor, let us see who keeps it. Magpul does not seem to be sweating it so in time we will find out.

Simon Wills

And when the Democratic majority is run out of office and gun rights restored, are they expected to move back? I think they got a bit ahead of themselves with the promise to move — better to stay and fight, especially when the fight is both righteous and winnable.

Matt Ware

Come on guys, do these people not realize exactly how much there is to move an entire business?

http://mjm.luckygunner.com MJ Mollenhour

A manufacturing company is not moved overnight.

Nicks87

I just want that 40 rnd Pmag I was promised.

big daddy

In foliage green please.

Greensoup

Magpul tried to throw their weight around to try and get a law stopped that wasn’t in their or their customers interests. If it was a bluff big deal, they bluffed and it didn’t work. People should talk less and think more.

Esh325

People that do that have nothing better to do in their lives I guess.

Sam Cadle (TFB)

This article was meant to stir people into discussion about this topic. As the writer, I am neutral, I am just trying to report to others that there is a sentiment of discontent beginning to surface here. What is going on (right or wrong) is going on. I understand that you cannot move a major manufacturing business in 9mo… I get that. But there are are a lot of angry people out there about this… trust me… there are A LOT. But at the end of the day, people can decide on their own what is right and wrong here. I understand they are a private business, they can do what ever they want, but at the end of the day that private business cannot exist without the consumer. If they make the consumer angry enough, there will be no need to move… They will slowly fade from existence. I have also been hearing “They are a business, they owe you nothing.” Which is true, I am not a stock holder. But as a consumers, in this digital day and age, they should be thinking that just about anyone can have a platform. Release some info, release the sites they are looking at… give people something besides silence. Because silence is what people equate with secrets, and secrets are usually secret because if someone found out they would be angry.

Now, on the other hand, I am an avid consumer of Magpul products. I can’t think of a single product that I have from them that I am not happy with. When I heard about them moving, I went ahead and ordered some swag from them, as a good will gesture. Now here I am, 9mo later looking at their inaction and wondering… Next time I need a magazine, stock or AR accessory am I going to buy Magpul? I mean for the argument of quality, yes I would. But I will think harder about buying their product. At the end of the day I vote with my dollar. So I might compare something a little more before buying it. I feel slighted by the company, but at this point not enough to no longer buy their product, just enough to take a harder look at everything else out there that is NOT Magpul.

Aaron E

I’m a huge Magpul fan because they make solid products that work, and continually update stuff from end-user feedback. However, I was a big flag waver when they made their 2A stand, and now …

If they see the legal situation turning in their favor I can understand taking a “stand and fight” approach. But that grace can only last so long, after such a matter-of-fact statement of their intention to leave Colorado!

As such, I’m wiling to give Magpul some time. Moving manufacturing facilities takes time, and it is a hard sell to cut ties with perhaps hundreds of loyal employees. But if the legal climate doesn’t change in Colorado, Magpul will risk losing thousands of customers if they don’t stand behind their principled stand – me included.

Yellow Devil

I believe it was Kahr arms that declared it was not setting up/expanding a new manufacturing plant in NY state and instead, was looking at a more 2A friendly state (PA I believe) to set up shop. However, they were still keeping their headquarters in MA. But the projected date for all this to be completed was 2019. I think people need to give Magpul a break and realize it will take awhile to move operations. But Magpul should have given a realistic date of their movement out of CO in the first place. Otherwise, it looks like they are lolygaggling even if they are not.

Josh

Moving a major manufacturing operation to another state is no small task to say the least. Just finding a viable location that will have an available skilled workforce will be extremely though. And what about the employees they currently have? Uproot and move hundreds of miles away or stay and hope to find a job in your area? These are not easy things. I applaud them for wanting to make a move, but overall they need to do whats best for there company and there employees. In the meantime I will keep buying there products as I need/want them. They make allot of excellent, high quality gear, without charging unreasonable sums of money for what they offer.

David Kachel

If it’s so tough, explain all those other companies that have already moved!!

jmkcolorado

i get that many would *like* to see magpul move, i just don’t get that folks feel *entitled* to have them move.

i don’t see politicians being held to the same standard – many make promises that they don’t (can’t) keep, and are perennially re-voted into office. and, arguably, *their* promises should be kept, with consequences if not.

punish magpul? one of the only private companies to stand up for our rights? they spent a great amount of actual money and time, as well as business and political capital, fighting the CO legislative battles.

i believe that their stand was part of the reason that so many of CO’s recent gun laws were either defeated outright or at least watered down.

and even if somehow they did owe us a move, what good would it really do? i’d rather have them stay and spend that money on cleaning out the rest of the CO legislative idiots.

this is not remington in ny, or RRA in IL, or kahr in MA where things are so far gone.
co hasn’t lost that much as yet, and signs are actually good we can get back to being a free state.

every time the US sends a carrier battle group to sail off the coast of a badly behaving country, we don’t automatically bomb them. the threat, the bluff, often times accomplishes what’s needed.

stay magpul. keep the jobs here, whatever you would/are spending to move, buy the influence to defeat the anti-gun pols.

i haven’t bought much in the way of firearms accessories lately, but many have been magpul. and i will continue to support them by choosing their products whenever there is a choice.
they DESERVE our support now – they’ve already earned it.

S O

“It unfeasible and logically impossible” maybe rather logistically?

There’s no real need to move. The company attempted to blackmail politicians, failed and now to actually move is probably even a bad management decision.

A factory and a HQ is a group of employees first, not so much an inventory of machines and computers. These employees may be royally pissed that they need to move to keep their job and such things can poison a company’s culture and productivity.

HSR47

From what I’ve heard, Magpul puts products through some very intensive testing (or they pay a third party to do this) before they are ever sold. This type of testing can easily take 3-6 months per iteration, and is done until Magpul either cancels the product, or it performs satisfactorily. Given that this portion of the production process can easily take 2-4+ iterations, Magpul tends to be very tight-lipped about products that haven’t been endorsed for sale.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if they wanted to use similar testing to verify the output of their new facility/facilities.

Add that into the 3-9+ months that it could easily take to locate a suitable site, the further 3-12+ months it could easily take to purchase suitable property and have it retrofitted for their use (including any permits and construction), and you see how this isn’t something that can be done overnight.

Given what they’ve said publicly, they presently have facilities outside CO. The fact that they haven’t moved ALL production to these facilities would seem to indicate that they need to expand them and/or certify the output. In either case, going public with the sites before they’re fully operational doesn’t really benefit Magpul: If the first run products don’t meet expectations, then they’ll likely have to retool, and if they need to expand they’ll need to go through all manner of government red tape (permits, inspections, etc.), which is MUCH easier to accomplish when the project isn’t a huge political football.

Really though, my money is that it all boils down to Magpul’s history of being very tight-lipped about things that aren’t ready to go 100% live.

David Kachel

C’mon Magpul. If you don’t move, Colorado politicians will never listen to gun owners ever again.

BuckRedstone

Maybe enough progressive collectivists and National Socialists will be removed from office to turn the negative political situation around in the right direction. Would we all then be OK with Magpul staying put?

patrickw

Fine people don’t buy their stuff till they completely leave… Means more stuff for me to buy.

Moving a firearms related company takes even longer than moving a non firearms related company. There are many extra steps and filings that must be done at the local and national level. They must file with the state dept regarding ITAR registration changes.

They are mfg things out of state just takes a while to move a large multimillion dollar mfg facility. Most businesses take a year before deciding on a new location. Then another year preparing for the move, including building the new facility at new location, then another 6-12 months moving. This is even harder when you have a high demand that you’re also trying to keep up with

arniel

As long as they don’t allow the move to affect their product’s quality…